Pier-2-Pier 2010

Phil Curtiss, working diligently at his desk

The extended family that is the Santa Cruz paddling community was very much in evidence at the 17th annual Pier-2-Pier (an unofficial race). It wasn’t just the number (65 paddlers, plus family and friends); there were at least three generations present, ranging in ages from under 10 to over 60. And I can’t imagine another family of any size that could get along with each other so well. One scene that sticks with me is Dave King calling paddlers from eight to eleven years old for what I guessed was an orientation talk, and them lining up for their own picture. Then there were the many familiar faces (this is my sixth Pier-2-Pier) whose names I am slowly learning.

Not that everyone is local. Phil Segal came from his paddle shop in King’s Beach, Lake Tahoe, and someone who must have been from New York was passing out flyers for a paddle around the Big Apple.

Dave is always there, always a force for fun, always taking an active part. This year, he said he had been to the finish line in Capitola already, “planting trees.” How green of him! I guessed this had something to do with setting the finish line. He had also been threatening to blow a conch shell to start the race, but ultimately decided on one of those small, bright red, shrill emergency whistles you can get at any marine supply.

The diversity of paddling equipment appropriately matched the large number of racers and variety in ages. These included paddleboards (12-foot stock, 14-foot and unlimited); stand-up paddleboards (also stock, fourteen and unlimited), and longboards of various descriptions. Tony Mueller notably paddles a homemade SUP, and he can kill.

Phil Curtiss paddles a classic Eaton 14-foot sporting a blue design on the deck; I have a later model, same size and make, sporting red. Two other boards that could be mistaken for mine were present in the race, but there’s no mistaking Phil’s board.

It took roughly an hour for everyone to arrive, sign in, and get their assigned number magic-markered onto the left hand. I got cold. I went for a little jog to warm up, thinking back fondly (sort of) on the “Le Mans” start to the Bay Crossing just one week ago.

When Phil gave the prerace talk, he felt obligated to mention the unconfirmed shark sighting just days ago, and the reports were it was a 20-foot great white. The Junior Lifeguards had stayed out of the water a few days, and would probably do likewise for several more. But, he helpfully pointed out, there are shark reports every summer. And, when asked, he let on that he himself was going.

The course was described, including the choice whether to paddle on the outside line (beyond the kelp bed) or the inside line (inside the kelp line is shorter, but you might get swept off the course by a wave.) Basically, you head towards Paradise Point and either go outside or take a left and go inside.

But if you go inside, your first hazard is a reef that focuses waves into a bowl and can break quite far out from the point, say around 30th Ave. The wave gets steep fast and pitches over.

It’s not hard to avoid this hazard. There are almost always a few surfers sitting on the break. Just go wide around them and you will not only avoid those sneaker sets that can rob you of your vehicle but also avoid blank stares from those surfers. In fact, the rest of the course is littered with surf spots and surfers waiting for the bigger sets.

So we all lined up against the Santa Cruz Municipal for the annual photo, paddled out and, without any forewarning, TWEEET! We were off.

The lineup

Headed for Paradise Point.

We had perfect, glassy conditions all the way with few waves. The tide was already over a foot high and rising, making the inside line an easy call.

I also chose an inside line for the first part of the race, meaning I would paddle up Pleasure Point. As I approached, I noticed there were waves breaking out there, just on the other side of the point, as described in our prerace briefing. Once I got past the point, there was still a good way to go out before I would be beyond the reef and the surfers sitting over it so I could turn left and cruise past the many breaks of Santa Cruz’s East Side.

And as I was paddling up the point, I could see an SUP heading straight into the bowl, rather than in the deeper channel next to the bowl, as a wave approached. The wave pitched over right in front of her. She tried to punch through, but lost the board. I heard later that the next wave took the board in before she could swim to it and recover it. Ouch!

My first clue about who was behind me, and I mean right behind me, came as I paddled through the lineups. The surfers who bothered to look my way seemed almost to stare through me (other years, some were friendly or cheered). But many yelled “GO PHIL.” So I knew he was there.

Without actually surfing any of the waves, I did get a push from them. I almost got too far inside: a wave broke after it had barely passed under me. Those little pushes must have been just enough. As I reached the pier, I was inside of Phil. I just needed to round the pier, turn left, and paddle straight in to the beach. But knowing you can’t ever count Phil out, I gave what I had left. Phil looked strong and he was smiling.

However much of a surprise it was to me that I held my position as I got to the bamboo goalposts Dave had planted, I never expected that only one unlimited paddleboard (belonging to Zach Wormhoudt) would be on the beach and that Tony Mueller would be the only other with his SUP. This has never happened to me at the Pier-2-Pier. 

Dave's plantings

Jody and Mike, all done and smilin'.

That said, I could easily name many paddlers who could have gotten there first, but that gets back to the family-and-friends feeling of this event. An obvious example is Craig Waltz (unlimited winner of several of this year’s epic races, including the Jay and the Bay Crossing). Craig took an easy paddle, choosing to hang with others. (I don’t even see Craig’s name on the results sheet.)  Many paddlers of all ages and abilities did likewise. Mike McDaniel and Jody Roberts paddled her first Pier-2-Pier together, and Jody came in all smiles. Winning doesn’t always matter, at least not at the Pier-2-Pier.

All 65 finished. Earlier this year, at the Jay Race, announcer Brent Allen remarked that the last paddler in is the biggest hero. Today, that biggest hero was Sean McIntyre, whose boyhood reach into the water extended only as deep as his wrists. The crowd blew up for Sean. He has a lot to look forward to.

And now, for brunch! 

 Mike McDaniel, Jody Roberts, me.

Thanks, DeeAnn Thompson, for the photos!